


cheap thrills

by hurryup



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Haircuts, Linkllen Week 2017, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-04-24
Packaged: 2018-10-23 11:34:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10718562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hurryup/pseuds/hurryup
Summary: Link gets a haircut, and Allen is surprised to find he's actually quite fond of it—  as well as a few other things.





	cheap thrills

Contrary to what most of the Order seemed to think, Link's 24/7 watch of Allen wasn't, in fact, necessarily a 24/7 watch at all. There were, of course, brief intervals during which Allen was afforded privacy— changing, bathing, bathroom, whatever. Allen was also prone to slip away for minutes at a time, just every now and then, a petty habit Link actually handled fairly gracefully, so long as it didn't get out of hand.  
  
There were also times when Link couldn't help but separate from Allen. Allen couldn't exactly accompany Link in reporting to Leverrier, and every now and then, he'd be summoned for some briefing that Allen assumed was directly related to his duties as a Crow. He'd leave Allen in the room they shared with the condition he not make any trouble, a stipulation so vague in nature that Allen felt comfortable ignoring it entirely. Not that Allen had any particular designs on making trouble. For now.

So, despite their constant proximity, Link couldn't exactly keep tabs on everything Allen got up to, and that principle extended both ways. That left some room for surprise, however small.

So, when Link returned to the room they shared missing approximately ten inches of his fucking hair, braid nowhere to be seen, Allen was more than just a little surprised.

"Oh my _God_ ," Allen said the moment he laid eyes on Link. His back straightened immediately where it had been comfortably nestled against the wall, alert with shock where he'd been lounging comfortably only seconds prior.

"Good afternoon to you too," Link said, dry. He leaned against the door frame, looking coolly unimpressed with Allen's shock and _missing his fucking braid, what the hell?_

"Was it an order?" Allen blurted out. A somewhat tactless suggestion, but the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. God knows that if Leverrier had made even the _slightest_ suggestion that Link ought to cut his hair, Link would've immediately lunged for the closest serrated instrument.

"What?" Link frowned, slightly taken aback by the suggestion. He tilted his head to the side, and the ends of his blonde hair swept against his temples. A subtle movement, but Allen found it absurdly captivating all the same. Allen made a vague gesture towards Link's hair, and Link fidgeted just slightly. Self-consciously? "Ah. No, this was of my own accord."

"It was?" Allen echoed. He realized, somewhat belatedly, that his gaze was fixed rather intently on Link's forehead. Kind of rudely, really. He made a resolute effort to return Link's eye contact. An easier task said than done, however— without that long, neat braid, there was so much more to focus on. Like the curve of Link's neck. And the soft sweep of his bangs, parted down the middle. And his ears. _Ears!_ It was all far too much.

"It was getting inconvenient, really," Link huffed. "Caring for long hair takes up a great deal of time, and time has been an unreliable resource as of late."

"That's... true enough," Allen said, directly addressing a strand of hair that had tumbled across Link's face to caress his cheekbone. "Huh. Did you cut it yourself?"

That seemed doubtful, seeing as it looked to be a fairly even cut. Link was clever with his hands, but cutting your own hair was tricky, especially in the back, Allen knew. Link shook his head. When he moved, the ends of his hair shifted to brush against his cheekbones. The sight was somewhat intoxicating, an effect doubled by sheer novelty.

"I mentioned getting a haircut in conversation with a member of the science division. Johnny Gill, I believe. He offered to cut it. I saw no reason to refuse."

_Johnny Gill, you braid-murdering son of a bitch._

"Huh."

Link shifted again, a little awkward. He looked... distinctly uncomfortable, really. Well, that was pretty much justifiable, given the level of unblinking scrutiny Allen was currently fixing him with.

"It's alright if you don't like it," Link said, voice level but not devoid of tone. He reached up, perhaps unconsciously, to scratch the back of his neck. His hand startled softly in midair, as if surprised not to meet the resistance of his braid. "It's only hair, after all."

He didn't sound hurt, exactly. More like resigned. Either way, Allen's heart seized up, and he found himself scrambling to reassure Link.

"No! I do!" Allen rushed to say, desperate to convey his sincerity. He lifted his hands in front of him, a placating gesture. "It's just really different! And _surprising_! Different and surprising. Honestly."

Link raised an eyebrow, looking wary. Allen pressed on insistently, "I was surprised when Lenalee's hair was cropped short, too. That didn't look bad either. Hers was burned off, though, not cut. So I guess that gives you a leg up over her, really."

Link didn't smile at this. He did seem to relax somewhat, though. Slowly, the tension began to drain from his shoulders, like he was releasing a sigh he'd been holding in for quite some time.

"How fortunate it is for Miss Lee that her hair happened to burn off so fashionably," he said, dry as dust.

Allen put his hand over his mouth, feigning shock.

"Did you just make a _joke_?"

"It _has_ been known to happen," Link said, sounding adorably miffed.

"Oh, really? Like when?"

"Special occasions."

"No way," Allen grinned. "My God. Short hair? Socializing with Black Order personnel? Making jokes? Who _are_ you, and what have you done with Inspector Howard Link?"

Allen's eyes began to wander, taking in the full length of Link openly, now. It was a relief, really, that he hadn't cut his bangs too. Allen had become very fond of the way they fell over his face. It was a fresher, less restrained look than the crop he'd been sporting on the day they'd first met. The effect was doubled by the loss of his braid. There had been something ethereal about the long hair, even angelic. By comparison, he now looked endearingly boy-next-door. Boyishly handsome.

"Don't be ridiculous," Link scoffed. He crossed his arms one over the other, contritely defensive. "I'm the same man I was yesterday, only..."

"Only missing a few inches," Allen supplied, ever helpful.

A smile was finally beginning to creep up over his face. It was only a small twitch of a thing, a ghost of a curve, but the sight warmed Allen regardless. Though rare, Link's smiles were a sight to behold. They were slow and shy and a little perfect.

"Ah, well. Just a few."

"I'll bet that feels weird," Allen said. He propped himself up to observe Link in earnest.

"It feels... too  _light_ ," Link said, intent, almost awed. The smile was here to stay, now. The sight of it filled Allen's stomach with a soft, warm kind of light.

Short hair, gentle smile, lively eyes. Link really was young, wasn't he? Barely twenty. You could see it in his face, the still-soft features of youth warring against the new angles of adulthood. His jaw, his shoulders, his sharp brow line. It seemed much more prominent now, without the fall of blonde hair to distract Allen. Link's neck, especially, seemed uncannily exposed, and Allen found himself fascinated by it.

He'd liked the braid a lot. But this really was nice, too.

Allen uncrossed his legs, swinging his legs over the bed to brace his hands against his knees. His initial surprise was transforming, little by little, into an innocent curiosity.

"So. What brought this on, anyways?"

Link blinked.

"Pardon?"

"The haircut," Allen elaborated. "It's a pretty dramatic change, if you ask me. People don't usually choose to undergo dramatic changes without some kind of outside influence."

"Hm," Link said. He wandered past the threshold, standing a few feet closer to Allen. He seemed to be giving it serious thought. Then again, he gave everything serious thought. That was his thing.

"Bad break-up?" Allen joked. Link gave Allen a withering look, exasperated. Like Link had the time to date in between shadowing Allen at all hours of the day. Or ever, really, now that Allen thought about it. He was already married to his duties, after all. No room for anything else.

(The thought caused something to twist unpleasantly in Allen's gut. He ignored it. Smiled some more.)

"It was just a thought. Well, perhaps I should call it an impulse," Link said slowly. There was a faraway look in his eyes, now. Something almost like wonderment. "It's not like me to be so impulsive, really. I suppose it's strange."

"It must be my bad influence," Allen teased lightly. Link sat down on the bed next to him, and Allen shifted to give him some more space. Link had a prim, delicate way of sitting, ankles crossed one over the other, hands folded in his lap. Allen found himself reluctantly endeared to it. "You're always telling me to be less rash. Now look at you."

"I hope not," Link said, grim. "A least one of us needs a calm head on his shoulders."

Allen put one hand over his heart, faux-offended.

"You wound me."

"Hm. You'll survive," Link said. A favorite adage of his, applicable to injuries both superficial and critical (though he always fussed regardless.) He paused, glancing at his side to take Allen in with a renewed solemnity. "In all seriousness, I _do_ believe you do have a strange way of changing people, though."

Allen startled, just slightly. Now there was a surprising idea. A disquieting one, too, somehow. Allen frowned, scratching the back of his neck self-consciously.

"You think so?"

" _Absolutely_."

The tone of absolute conviction in Link's voice gave Allen pause. His eyes flickered to Link's face to find it mirrored there, an earnest set to his mouth and brows.  Almost like he was saying, _'You changed me.'_

A beautiful sentiment. It made Allen sick to his stomach.

"Well," Allen said. His voice traveled over a quiet, breathy laugh. It was almost a racking laugh. It shook him as the wind shakes a tree. He tried not to think of Mana. Thought of him anyways. His vague eyes. The old, scarred-over guilt. "Not always for the better."

Link looked at Allen with silent, serious eyes. He looked stricken. Allen knew the look. He didn't want to agree, but he didn't want to lie to Allen, either. Allen was glad for it.

Without thinking, he reached out and touched Link's hair with the edge of his fingertips. It had a nice, clean feeling to it; and there was something fascinating in the way the ends brushed against his skin. Almost as fascinating as the way they curled about Link's face. With a tremulous hesitation, Allen moved to caress Link, desperately entranced.

Link cleared his throat awkwardly, and Allen's fingers curled in embarrassed surprise. The sound sheared through his dreamy mood like scissors through silk, and as he returned to reality, he found himself rushing to explain himself.

 ****"Now _that_ was impulsive. Sorry, I'm kind of—"

_Kind of a hot mess, really. In general._

"It's fine," Link said— forgiveness or assent? He was blushing up to his ears, a curious little glow that did nothing to persuade Allen to pull away. So he didn't. He curled his hand around the nape of Link's neck. He brushed his thumb across his skin, smooth and warm.

Idly, Allen drew his fingers up over Link's bare neck and through his hair. There was a pleasant tuftiness to it. It gave easily to Allen's touch, and when Allen slowed to cradle the back of Link's skull, it looked pleasantly mussed. He wondered if Link's bedhead would be worse from here on out. Then, with very little connection to the first thought at all, he wondered what it would be like to kiss Link's neck.

"I'm going to miss the braid," Allen said wistfully. It was the easiest thing to say among the myriad thoughts dancing through his mind, and almost certainly the least pathetic sounding.

"You said you liked this," Link frowned.

 ****"I do," Allen said, rolling his eyes, speaking over a breath of mirth that was not quite a laugh. "This is less swishy, though."

"I'm afraid 'swishiness' was _not_ a factor I took into consideration before cutting it."

"Your mistake," Allen said lightly. "Well, at least I get do _this_ now."

"Do what?"

Allen dragged his hands over the top of Link's head and ruffled his hair, hard and playful. Link's response was instantaneous. His eyes went wide with surprise, and he braced back instinctively, hands jumping up to swat away at Allen. Not one to be defeated, Allen kneeled forwards, far too pleased with himself and the ridiculous angles at which Link's hair could be persuaded into sticking up into.

"Enough of that!" Link said, caught in a lovely place between irritation and exasperation. "I said _enough_!"

In his fight, he lose his purchase on the surface beneath him and stumbled back, back hitting the bed. Determined, climbed on top of him him, bright and alive with the foxy glitter of this playful instinct. Link's short hair, flat against the mattress, looked wonderful; soft and tousled framing his fine-drawn face with a pleasant sweetness. Allen grinned like a fool, mad with triumph.

There was a slow flush creeping up Link's cheeks. It took Allen a moment to realize why.

Then, he very nearly blushed himself.

Link was lying between his thighs, blonde hair no longer fanning out beneath him, but sticking up and covering his eyes and making him look more debauched than Allen had ever seen him. And his neck, so wondrously exposed.

Link wrestled Allen's hand away, finally, and Allen lost the purchase that was keeping him propped relatively upright. He tumbled down against Link, and then, because their bodies were so close and it seemed to be the most natural thing in the world, he brought his hand to rest on Link's cheek and brought their lips together.

Allen kissed Link, just once, very softly. It took less than a second for Allen to decide he liked it. The feeling of his own lips parting against Link's was almost unbearably sensual— and Link's own lips, pliant in mute surprise, turned out to be extraordinarily kissable. So he kissed Link again, a second time. A long, clinging kiss. Link's body was shaking just beneath Allen, and Allen could feel his heartbeat fluttering as quickly and gently as moth's wings.

When their lips were separated from one another, there was a soft, wet sound, like a pop. It was that sound, that pop that brought Allen back to reality. Suddenly, he was thrust with the full weight of what he'd done.

He'd kissed _Link_.

Allen yanked his hand away from Link's face and slammed it down against the mattress, pushing himself upright. He jolted back a fraction, eyes widening as he was struck with something like dawning horror.

Link lay stiff as a board, his face bright red. He didn't say anything, mouth still hanging a little open. He didn't try to push Allen off of him, at least. He hadn't kissed Allen back either, though. For once, in the hot flush of what looked to be absolute mortification, Link was well and truly inscrutable.

Whether Link did or didn't like it, Allen realized, was far beyond the point. He'd done something highly inappropriate, especially given Link's figurative position in regards to Allen. Plus, even if he had enjoyed it, it wasn't like Link had given Allen any permission or indication he'd wanted to be kissed.

Allen wiped at his mouth with the back of one hand, rushing to throw up a defensive wall over his expression before Link could catch a glimpse of the anxious guilt that was flooding his system.

"I'm sorry," Allen said. He forced a laugh, a short, nervous sound thing that sounded strained to even his own ears. "That got a little out of hand, huh?"

Link didn't say anything. He just stared up at Allen, numb, and did not stop blushing.

"I was just kidding around," Allen went on, far too quickly, feeling increasingly horrified by the situation with each passing second. Link hadn't liked it. He was freaked out. He was uncomfortable. Allen's kiss had disgusted him. Had he felt the rough texture of Allen's scar against his skin? It extended nearly as far as his mouth. "That was an accident. Really."

"An _accident_?" Link repeated. He didn't looked relieved by this at all. In fact, he looked approximately ten times more alarmed. It was hard not to panic just looking at him. "How was that an accident?"

"I don't know," Allen said, growing anxious. He worried his lower lip with his teeth, pulse jumping beneath his skin.   "It _should_ be an accident, right?"

"Should?" Link looked positively mystified. "What— what does that even _mean_?"

_"I don't know!"_

Link leaned up, sitting upright so that Allen was straddling his lap. Allen braced himself, waiting for the inevitable shove that would topple his body away from Link's, but it not not come.

Instead, he kissed Allen square on the mouth.

Allen had liked their first two kisses. He liked their third even better, now that Link was an active participant. He kissed gently, a little clumsily, but it was sweet and slow and perfect, lingering between the two of them until the two had to break apart on account of sheer breathlessness.

"Some accident," Allen panted. His fingers threaded through Link's short, blonde hair, the jagged black nails of his Innocence hand rasping over the strands.

"It... happens to the best of us," Link answered. He looked and sounded every inch as pleasantly dazed as Allen felt, hands coming to settle on Allen's waist, keeping him grounded firmly against Link's body.

"Well, you can't grow unless you make a few mistakes," Allen said. "Or even just one very good mistake, provided you're willing to make it over and over again."

"Over and over?" Link echoed. He pressed his face into the crook of Allen's neck and breathed in deep. "For how long?"

Allen thought about it.

"How long do we have until you return to your senses and feel obligated to do something rational?"

"Only a minute," Link admitted. He lifted his head and licked his lips, eyes landing fairly obviously over the soft curve of Allen's cupid's bow. "Perhaps two."

"Think we can make it to three?"

"Well," Link stalled. Lips flushed. Hair a wreck. Eyes as sharp and bright as twins stars. Body _begging_ to be kissed all over. "I suppose it's not impossible."

Allen hummed, dipping back in to press their foreheads together.

"I'll take those odds."

Allen closed his eyes, pulling Link back in for their fourth kiss, and then their fifth, and then another and another until he was pleased to discover there was no more keeping count.

**Author's Note:**

> prompt for day 1 of linkllen week! the prompt was 'accidental kiss.' i kind of strayed from it. whatever!
> 
> i saw [this pic](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/252990047492636673/303058875777810434/IMG_20170416_014739.jpg) on twitter and thought, "well, the way it's cropped, it looks like he's got short hair" and i thought it was a dope ass look. you're welc.
> 
> hurryupfic @ tumblr  
> fuckhowardlink @ twitter


End file.
